Review: Firebird Nighthawk Cutter

In the slice, punch and clip world of cigar cutters, plastic gets a bit of a raw deal. Cigar smokers tend to view the synthetic material as prone to breakage, uncomfortable in the hands, and generally incapable of cleanly cutting a cigar. Not to mention chintzy. If we are talking about the cheap plastic cutters often given away at a cigar event, these complaints are warranted.

Colibri’s double-guillotine Nighthawk cigar cutter, however, is no souvenir. Instead, it is the best “bang for your buck” plastic cigar cutter on the market, a dependable workhorse that swiftly cuts the cap off a premium smoke as well as, if not better than, more expensive cutters.

Extremely lightweight, the Nighthawk cutter houses two surgical-grade, stainless-steel blades and features a 60 ring gauge aperture capable of cutting the fattest of smokes. The blades are also covered in a black plating that resists tobacco oils from accumulating on them, yet another plus.

The cutting action of the Nighthawk is pleasantly tight, and the large finger holes help it feel comfortable to operate. One of the blades remains stationary while the other moves, which makes the Nighthawk feel more like a single-guillotine cutter.

We thoroughly tested the Nighthawk by cutting scores of cigars that were part of our Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider tastings. Despite how many smokes we threw at it, the Nighthawk never broke down. We were seriously impressed by its performance, especially given that it carries a suggested retail price of only $9.99.

While Colibri doesn’t sell the Nighthawk cutter (or any Firebird branded products) directly on its website, it’s carried by all the major online U.S.-based cigar vendors and in most cigar shops. It’s available in three colors, gray, black and red.